Nataraja,
the Hindu
godShivaas
‘Lord of Dance’, depicted
standing on one leg whilst the other one is in the air. It represents cosmic truth and energy, i.e. the destructive energy with which
he dances at the end of each cosmic age. Hence, his cosmic dance symbolizes
creation,
preservation and destruction at the same time, and is the source of
all movement within the cosmos, the latter being represented by the arch of
flames. Shiva has one foot planted on the midgetApasmara (fig.),
who represents ignorance and is depicted with the face of a demon and the
body of an infant.